On Callis the latest police drama from Dick Wolf, debuting on Amazon’s Prime Video streaming platform early this January. The show is the first that the producer has worked on with his son, Elliott, but follows a long line of procedural dramas with the involvement of the producer behind theOne ChicagoandLaw & Orderfranchises. It shares similarities withChicago P.D.in particular since it centers on a fictional police department where protagonists Traci Harmon and Alex Diaz work as patrol officers.
UnlikeChicago P.D.and the rest of theOne Chicagofranchise, however,On Callisn’t set in the Windy City but in Long Beach, California. Officers Harmon and Diaz work at the Long Beach Police Department, and all the action in the series (so far) takes place in the city just south of Los Angeles. Yet the show’s location doesn’t automatically exclude it from being part of the same universe asOne Chicago. The original series ofLaw & Orderwas based in New York, but that didn’t stop it from having an entireOne Chicagocrossoverepisode withChicago P.D.in the sixteenth season ofLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit.
On Call Isn’t Part Of The One Chicago Universe (At Least Not Yet)
Season 1 Keeps The Worlds Separate For Now
Nevertheless, Elliott Wolf, who co-createdOn Callwith Tim Walsh, has suggested thatthe show’s story isn’t related toOne Chicago. At least, it’s not at this stage, followingOn Call’s debut, five-episode season set entirely in Long Beach. In response to a question about whetherOne ChicagoandOn Callare in the same universe, Wolf toldVariety, “They never are until they are.”
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Wolf and Walsh discuss how Dick Wolf impacted On Call, the distinctions between this series and Chicago PD, and potential future crossovers.
It remains to be seen whetherpotential future seasons ofOn Callventure into the world of his father’s franchises.One possible barrier to a crossover taking place, though, is the appearance of actor Monica RaymundinOne Call’s first episode. Raymund is known for playing paramedic Gabby Dawson inChicago Fire, and appeared as the same character inChicago P.D.andChicago Med. But inOne Callshe plays police officer Maria Delgado instead.
On Call’s Monica Raymund Doesn’t Ruin The Shared Universe Chances With One Chicago
She’s Far From The First One Chicago Actor To Play More Than One Character
It might seem likeRaymund’s appearance as a completely separate character from her major role in theOne Chicagoshows ruins the chances ofOn Callsharing the same universe as the franchise. Given Dick Wolf’s history of both mixing and matching different characters and actors in his franchises, however, this assumption is slightly reductive. There are evenfour actors who play multiple characters within theOne Chicagoshows themselves. So Raymund could easily become the fifth multi-character actor in the franchise’s universe.
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What’s more, Raymund essentially plays a minor, single-episode role as Officer Delgado inOne Call. While Delgado is a key part of the story in the show’s first season,she’s killed off in the first episode, after which the investigation into her murder takes place without Raymund having to appear. In terms of character development,One Callseason 1 focuses on the relationship between Officers Harmon and Diaz.
A Crossover With On Call & One Chicago Would Only Fully Work On Streaming
On Call On Network Television Doesn’t Make Sense
Unlike theOne ChicagoandLaw & Orderseries,On Callhas the advantage of being made for streaming, which has afforded it certain structural and stylistic freedoms shows made for network television don’t have. Wolf and Walsh have adapted a classic 30-minute police drama format to a continuous narrative across five concise episodes, in which most of the action is shot in a handheld style resembling police body-cam footage.It would be difficult to transfer the gritty realism of its depictions into the format of network TV, which providesOne Chicagowith most of its viewership.
5 Best Shows Like Dick Wolf’s On Call
Dick Wolf recently released a new police procedural, On Call, and the Prime Video series has a number of amazing follow-ups to add to your watchlist.
On the other hand, it’d be intriguing to watch Hank Voight and Kim Burgess fromChicago P.D.portrayed in the innovative format and styleOn Calluses. A new generation of police drama fans could also be introduced to these legendary characters from one of Dick Wolf’s most enduring onscreen creations. With season 1 currently riding high in the streaming charts, there’s every chance future episodes will open up the possibility of Long Beach’s own “Chicago Crossover.”
